Girls DA = $10,000/yr & NO high school sports???

[Unregistered]

If all of the best clubs in they ECNL hadn't accepted spots in the USSDA for 2017-18 you might have an argument. Americans like to know what the top level of play is and now they do and are fighting tooth and nail to be one of the chosen clubs, but time is running out and figuring out how to spin this after the rapture is really all that's left for those not called to duty in the nations top league.

Honest simple candid truth, appreciated.

[Unregistered]

What ECNL clubs are you talking about? Their are 3 local clubs who joined the ECNL League under the local club affiliation of 2 clubs named FC PDX and Crossfire United.

The quality and strength of the 2017-18 USSDA league is already self evident with the weekly announcements of the best clubs in the country joining. It's played out and they have jumped ship from the ECNL and elected to join the USSDA with their clubs best players across 3 new age groups.

Back to our local community it's an absolute mess for girls already with the ECNL dreaming this area could form 10 teams across 5 age groups and be relevant in their national league, this is not a wait and see thing, it's already a proven loser with too many sub-par players having to fill out rosters for 10 teams.

The real question is does this community really want to have (3) teams in the USSDA that represent the best talent the area has to offer, if we don't we can continue to swim in this cesspool of mediocrity and rip each other about how crappy we are. Seems to work well for the level of maturity, leadership and intelligence of this generation of female parents. The boys parents let nature take it's course with the Timbers DA..why so much push back about the THORNS DA?

Weird.

I hope you're right.
I do think you're being a little blind to the skepticism that is out there that the Thorns can pull this off. Their current attempt was a failure. Just because the GDA has the potential to be a superior platform doesn't mean the buffoons at The Timbers / Thorns manage it appropriately and put a quality product on the pitch.
You're also banking heavily that the top local players will embrace the stated restrictions placed on them by US Soccer.

That's not weird

[Unregistered]

Who wants to give up high school and spend tens of thousands of dollars? Bad idea.

[Unregistered]

So if the Academy model is the end all be all why has US Club and ECNL introduced a boys league? If the Academy system has met all the better players needs (did not say top 1%) then why is there a need for an additional national boys league? Sure there's money / greed / ego at play but that's par for youth soccer - not shocking at all.

The US Soccer GDA may cater to some but to boldly say the ECNL is doomed is silly. The GDA will get it's share but not all - the ECNL will survive and will still have top players that don't see a good fit with the GDA. Those top players that want to have a life / HS Soccer / other HS sports / other interests /3 days of training / no delusion of a pro career / no delusions of National team etc.
This "sky is falling" for any other league other then the GDA is simply a silly notion.

When you are desperate and scrambling you fire back with absurd ideas, like how about a 2nd tiered nationwide league for boys. Good luck with that :)

USSDA girls will get every club they want from the current ECNL plus the NWSL & MLS clubs who want in and other clubs they want, they, US Soccer get all of their top choice clubs without any effort, otherwise clubs would be turning down spots in the USSDA, there not.

The ECNL in it's current form is not doomed at all, it's actually over. It may continue under a different acronym that reflects it's goals and membership talent level. How about the
'B' NL? Division II National League? We Love HS Soccer National League? Who knows.

The sky isn't falling for the ECNL, the floor just got pulled out from under them.

[Unregistered]

I hope you're right.
I do think you're being a little blind to the skepticism that is out there that the Thorns can pull this off. Their current attempt was a failure. Just because the GDA has the potential to be a superior platform doesn't mean the buffoons at The Timbers / Thorns manage it appropriately and put a quality product on the pitch.
You're also banking heavily that the top local players will embrace the stated restrictions placed on them by US Soccer.

That's not weird

The reality is no club in Oregon has generated enough quality on the field of play to warrant any consideration as possible USSDA girls program. That much we know. So US Soccer is well aware of our fractured mess of clubs and diluted talent, but they know if all the best players were placed on just 3 teams at u13/14, u15/16 & u17/18 they could compete. So they decided to partner with the NWSL Thorns to carry this torch for our region.

The real question is being regionally and nationally relevant that important to Oregonians.

On the girls side of things it's not even been a talking point.

[Unregistered]

It is funny how one person just keeps posting the same rhetoric. The reality is, we will really know nothing until it happens, a year from now.... Remember how excited everyone was for the Thorns Academy, ECNL, etc., they all have problems, and are a fit for some but not for all. The new structure will be more of the same. The guy on hear so excited with no balance or reason is making it sound like the GDA is the second coming of Christ. I am really not convinced of that.

[Unregistered]

When you are desperate and scrambling you fire back with absurd ideas, like how about a 2nd tiered nationwide league for boys. Good luck with that :)

USSDA girls will get every club they want from the current ECNL plus the NWSL & MLS clubs who want in and other clubs they want, they, US Soccer get all of their top choice clubs without any effort, otherwise clubs would be turning down spots in the USSDA, there not.

The ECNL in it's current form is not doomed at all, it's actually over. It may continue under a different acronym that reflects it's goals and membership talent level. How about the
'B' NL? Division II National League? We Love HS Soccer National League? Who knows.

The sky isn't falling for the ECNL, the floor just got pulled out from under them.

The GDA isn't anything until it proves itself, on the field, to be more than just a power and money grab. Come back in 5 years to see how it all worked out. Likely won't even be a Thorns Academy in 5 years - they barely survived their first 2 years and are even weaker this year.

[Unregistered]

It is funny how one person just keeps posting the same rhetoric. The reality is, we will really know nothing until it happens, a year from now.... Remember how excited everyone was for the Thorns Academy, ECNL, etc., they all have problems, and are a fit for some but not for all. The new structure will be more of the same. The guy on hear so excited with no balance or reason is making it sound like the GDA is the second coming of Christ. I am really not convinced of that.

Just a mom who has read the announcements of the newly admitted clubs to the girls GDA it's pretty crystal clear to me of what's happening in 2017-18. The announcement of the Thorns Academy a couple years ago didn't really tell me much as I had no idea of who they were playing and actually still don't. The local clubs joining the ECNL didn't tell me much either until I looked up what conference they were placed in and looking at the types of teams they played at the showcases, not too sexy on that front.

Thorns Academy and the ECNL league involvement don't have much to offer in terms of excitement for an Oregonian.

But when you tell me Portland is getting an NFL team in 2017-18 it's truly exciting, but the only question that remains is how good will the team be. That's the only unknown about the Girls Development Academy team with the Portland Thorns, will they get the best players to join, if not they are going to get kicked out of this top level just like FC Portland did in the USSDA.

The best clubs in the country are coming to play in Portland in 2017-18 which is something that has never happened in 40 years in Oregon youth soccer.

[Unregistered]

***

The best clubs in the country are coming to play in Portland in 2017-18 which is something that has never happened in 40 years in Oregon youth soccer.

Ah Crossfire (Seattle) and Washington Premier have been coming for 2 years. Have outstanding Colorado teams here as well. All in ECNL. You might want to think about that statement a bit.

[Unregistered]

Ah Crossfire (Seattle) and Washington Premier have been coming for 2 years. Have outstanding Colorado teams here as well. All in ECNL. You might want to think about that statement a bit.

Included in the ECNL platform was terrible clubs from Idaho and Utah which won't be happening anymore, which makes it so remarkable for Oregon, wow.

Putting us PORTLAND on the map with the USDA, vs travelling all over the map in the ECNL.

Go take a look at the clubs accepted into the USDA, it's impressive and exciting for our state.

[Unregistered]

Just a mom who has read the announcements of the newly admitted clubs to the girls GDA it's pretty crystal clear to me of what's happening in 2017-18. The announcement of the Thorns Academy a couple years ago didn't really tell me much as I had no idea of who they were playing and actually still don't. The local clubs joining the ECNL didn't tell me much either until I looked up what conference they were placed in and looking at the types of teams they played at the showcases, not too sexy on that front.

Thorns Academy and the ECNL league involvement don't have much to offer in terms of excitement for an Oregonian.

But when you tell me Portland is getting an NFL team in 2017-18 it's truly exciting, but the only question that remains is how good will the team be. That's the only unknown about the Girls Development Academy team with the Portland Thorns, will they get the best players to join, if not they are going to get kicked out of this top level just like FC Portland did in the USSDA.

The best clubs in the country are coming to play in Portland in 2017-18 which is something that has never happened in 40 years in Oregon youth soccer.

Trust me, the "best clubs" in the DA won't be coming to Portland. You'll get Xfire and SU's "B" teams but no teams from outside the pacific NW are coming to play a club like the Thorns Academy. I mean, do you see the SoCal Blues coming to Beaverton Cup this weekend to play the Thorns Academy? No you don't. That won't change next year either.

[Unregistered]

Included in the ECNL platform was terrible clubs from Idaho and Utah which won't be happening anymore, which makes it so remarkable for Oregon, wow.

Putting us PORTLAND on the map with the USDA, vs travelling all over the map in the ECNL.

Go take a look at the clubs accepted into the USDA, it's impressive and exciting for our state.

No, instead of Utah and Idaho you have the Thorns Academy instead - even worse than the very worst ECNL club.

[Unregistered]

Trust me, the "best clubs" in the DA won't be coming to Portland. You'll get Xfire and SU's "B" teams but no teams from outside the pacific NW are coming to play a club like the Thorns Academy. I mean, do you see the SoCal Blues coming to Beaverton Cup this weekend to play the Thorns Academy? No you don't. That won't change next year either.

Understand your viewpoint and it's noted. The only thing that's truly known is in 2017-18 the the top So Cal Blues players won't ever play against FC Pdx or Crossfire Utd as they have left the ECNL by then. That being the case why would the local clubs even want to stay in that version of the gutted ECNL? Please share your thoughts.

[Unregistered]

It will be interesting how the GDA plays out for the older age group U17/U18.
I'm curious if those players who are not National Team / Pro prospect level who have locked up their College positions will be willing to incur the continued expense / travel / training requirements of the GDA?
Girls are a bit more fickle then boys in that friendships / HS events / Prom / etc. seem to have a higher priority.
Local clubs historically have difficulties fielding full teams and the ECNL has even reduced the non-league travel requirements / National Showcase requirements to keep teams fully subscribed.
Will be interesting to see if the GDA is forced to recognize this and lighten their requirements?

[Unregistered]

Understand your viewpoint and it's noted. The only thing that's truly known is in 2017-18 the the top So Cal Blues players won't ever play against FC Pdx or Crossfire Utd as they have left the ECNL by then. That being the case why would the local clubs even want to stay in that version of the gutted ECNL? Please share your thoughts.

In small market populations like PDX if the GDA is as popular as you say it will be then the ECNL will most certainly be gutted locally. However, in more populous areas the "gutting' may be less noticeable.
To keep the GDA as an elite level platform US Soccer will have to limit the number of clubs / teams and lets be honest limit the players as well. (otherwise they will fall to the level of ECNL right?)
If this is the case the ECNL will survive just fine. Yes the absolute cream will be skimmed off but as a whole the term "gutted" is probably an exaggeration. Certainly taking the cream out will have an impact but the ECNL would be more competitive possibly. As long as the ECNL can stay relevant as a college recruiting showcase then it will be just fine. The GDA will not be for everyone just as the ECNL isn't - they'll both find they're place in the soccer landscape.